A Forum for Orthodox Jewish thought on Halacha, Hashkafa, and the social issues of our time.

Thursday, April 04, 2013

Another Baby (Almost) Bites the Dust

There has been yet another case of neonatal herpes reported
in the media. From the Forward:

Another Jewish newborn — the second in three months — has
contracted neonatal herpes due to a controversial oral suctioning technique
employed during ritual circumcision, New York City’s Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene has reported.

I frankly do not completely understand why even Satmar
Chasidim continue using the procedure of Metzitza B’Peh (MbP)*. Even more
perplexing is their opposition to a New York City Health Department
requirement to sign a consent form before allowing that procedure to be
performed on their newborn immediately after the Milah.

I am not going to go through the reasoning as to why this
procedure is not Halachicly mandated. Been there and done that more than
once. Suffice it to say that suctioning blood from the circumcision wound was
understood by Chazal to be a requirement for medical purposes.

That it is mandated in the Gemarah makes it a Halachic
requirement. But it does not make it part of the actual Milah. The Talmud also does
not say how that suctioning should be done. Nowhere does it say that
it must be done directly by mouth.

But Chasidim for reasons not completely clear to me say
suctioning the blood by mouth is an essential part of the circumcision itself –
without which the circumcision would be invalid. I suppose they base it on a
mimetic tradition. This is how they saw their ‘fathers’ do it. And this is how
it’s always been done. It therefore must be a requirement.

What about babies that have contracted herpes? They reject
completely any evidence that is has been transmitted by a Herpes infected Mohel.
How, they ask, could it be that a Torah requirement would cause a danger to a
child? The truth is not what we see but what ‘God says it is’. (Or as I prefer
to characterize it - what they THINK God
says).The babies who have contracted it post circumcision could not have possibly
gotten it from an infected Mohel no matter what the evidence shows.

What is even more perplexing is how common MbP is even among
non Chasidim. And the fact that Agudah wastes poltical capital fighting even
the requirement that a consent form be signed. Their response has been that this
is a church/state issue. And that tampering in any way with any part of Milah
is an attack against Milah itself.

What’s worse is that in their zeal to protect this procedure
they have compared government concerns about the health of the baby to anti
Bris campaigns of ancient Greece – where a Bris was outlawed so as to Helenize
their Jewish subjects taking them completely out of the Torah’s orbit.

There are many Mohalim here in Chicago. Some do MbP and
some do not – using a sterile pipette for suction instead. Those who do MbP are
the most popular Mohalim among Charedim. Even those who are not Chasidim. It’s
almost as if they did not know that MbP is an issue. Or don’t care.

How can a
father not care what happens to his baby? How can he say that it’s
probably going to be OK? True – it probably will since the incidence is of
an infected Mohel transmitting the disease is very low. But why do they insist
on these Moahlim? And why do these Mohalim insist on using MbP anyway? They are
not Chasidic. And yet MbP is automatic with them. (Although my understanding is that
some of them will not use if if asked not to... still - MbP is their default.)

Most people know that R’ Moshe Tendler is vehemently
opposed to MbP. He has been publicly called a Hellenizer for his efforts by some
members of the right. But according to the Forward so too is R’ Hershel
Shachter. From the Forward:

In a public
lecture last February in London, Schachter, who is a rosh yeshiva,
or senior chief rabbinic authority, at Y.U.’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological
Seminary, claimed that his daughter’s hospital treated three cases per year of
Hasidic babies infected with herpes. The infections were “obvously because of metzitzah
b’peh,” Schachter told his audience, citing his daughter r.

Schachter also cited his daughter as claiming that there
are, in fact, about 15 such cases per year in the city, including the three
cases or so she claimed per year at her own hospital. Schachter said his
daughter explained that the hospitals do not report these cases because Hasidic
clients would not return if they were made public. Schachter’s remarks were
first posted March 14 on the website Failed Messiah and authenticated by the
Forward.

What is not so well known is that as far back as 1972 the
issue of Metzizah P’Peh was discussed by HaRav Moshe Pirutinsky in his “Sefer
HaBris”. This monumental work includes Haskamos (approbations) from R’ Chaim Shmulevitz, R’ Yitzchak Hutner, R’ Yitzchok HaLevi Ruderman, R’ Mendel Zaks, R’ Modechai Gifter, R’ Shneur
Kotler, R’ Nachum Perlow (Rabbi Yaakov Perlow’s father) and R’ Moshe Feinstein.

On pages 215-216 in his chapter on Metzitza, Rabbi
Pirutinsky discusses the issue at length quoting many sources - both pro and
con. But he concludes that if medical experts (the only ones qualified to do
so) determine that there is a danger posed by a Mohel using the mouth for
suctioning the circumcision wound - it should be performed by other legitimate
methods. Ultimately Chazal required Metzitza for health reasons. If using the
mouth is unhealthy for the child it ought not to be done that way.

*Grammatically - Metzitza B’Feh (MbF) is the correct Hebrew term and acronym. I choose to use Metzitza B'Peh (MbP) only because it is the more commonly used expression and acronym.

Follow by Email

Followers

Recent Comments

About Me

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelor's Degree - majoring in Psychology.